Nasal inhaler



June 17, 1941.- c. H. FRANCISCO ETAL NASAL INHALER Filed Nov, 27, 1939 n milla Syvum/VM cis co,

Patented June 17, 1941 j omen; meer 2,245,969 NSAL INHALER.

' "oharlesnmy Francisco, Wiuiamrraneisco, anirf Leonardrown, San Francisco, Calif.

Application November 27, lasasral No. 306,394

1 .I Claim.

This invention relates to inhalers such as are commonlyemployed `for supplying loxygen to patients for breathing purposes'when afflicted with pneumonia and other ailments.

The. primary.object..of.` the` present invention is to generally improve-upon' and-simplify the construction of inhaler disclosed 1in .UL S. Patent No. 2,168,705 granted August 8, 1939` to Charles Henry Francisco, et al. More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a nasal inhaler of the above kind including an improved supporting frame, and novel means for permitting adjustment of the nasal tubes so that they may be readily entered in the nostrils of different patients.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view showing an inhaler embodying the present invention and illustrating the same in use.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the inhaler drawn on an enlarged scale and partly broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the inhaler shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4--4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the present inhaler consists of a supporting frame somewhat in the nature of the frame of spectacles and consisting of a vertically disposed plate 8 having integral substantially horizontal arms 5 projecting from opposite sides thereof and arranged to occupy a position over the eyes of the patient. The central portion of the frame or plate 8 is upwardly curved at its lower edge as at II so that this portion forms a bridge adapted to overlie the bridge of the patients nose, and depending from the plate 8 at opposite sides of the curved edge portion II are integral arms Iiia having enlarged lower end portions twisted substantially at right angles and formed in concavo-convex shape to provide nose pieces ID arranged to engage the nose of the patient at opposite sides of the bridge of the nose. The arms 5 are yieldable so as to prevent undue pressure of the temples 'I against the sides of the patients face, said temples being pivoted at 6 to the outer ends of the arms 5 and arranged to extend rearwardly at the sides of the face of the patient and to hook at their rear ends around the patients ears for retaining thjeinhaler in place upon the patient. In this way, ari-extremely simplied and inexpensivey but durable;` construction Ais had for supporting` the, nasal?, tubes;v ofgthel inhaler as :will be .presentlyv described.4 a

.The inhaler Ifurther includes aitting -I 2,:rigidlysecuredgto the front faceflotthe plateftby means of a screw I2a or the like. The fitting I2 is in the form of a block having a flat rear face flatly contacting the front face of the plate 8 as shown more clearly in Figure 5, the plate 8 being countersunk in the front of the tting I2 as shown in Figure 4. The tting I2 further consi`sts of a hollow member which is tapered wider in a downward direction, being provided with a central top inlet I3 adapted for connection with the source of oxygen supply by means of a flexible tube I4 or the like. The fitting I2 has downwardly diverging passages leading from the inlet I3 and opening through the bottom of the tting and in which are slidably positioned the upper ends of nasal tubes I5 that extend downwardly in diverging relation at and below opposite sides of the bridge portion II and nose pieces I2. The nasal tubes I5 have their lower end portions curved inwardly and upwardly in position to enter the nostrils of the patient, and by vertically sliding these nasal tubes relative to the fitting I2, they may be properly adjusted to different patients. The vertical adjustment of the nasal tubes I5 may be maintained by suitable means such as pins I1 projecting into the fitting I2 and frictionally engaging the upper ends of the nasal tubes I5 as shown more clearly in Figure 5, said pins being carried by a spring pressure plate I 8 through which passes a screw I9 threaded into the tting I2. By adjusting the screw I9, the spring plate I8 may be tensioned to regulate the frictional engagement of the pins I'I with the nasal tubes I5. In this way, the nasal tubes may be effectively retained in adjusted position relative to the tting I2, and by loosening the screw I8, the pins I'I may be freed to permit the desired vertical adjustment of said nasal tubes as will be apparent. The terminal I6 of the lower ends of the nasal tubes I5 are of substantially ball shape to properly t in the nasal passages, as usual.

The oxygen may be supplied directly to the nasal passages by means of the device described, so that no interference is presented to the patient eating freelv at any time. In use, the lower ends of the nasal tubes I5 are entered into the nostrils and the inhaler is then lifted so that the bridge portion II properly rests upon the bridge of the nose. The temples 'I are then engaged over the patients ears, whereupon the oxygen supplied through the tube I4 enters the fitting l2 and passes into and through the nasal tubes I5.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present inhaler is extremely Well adapted for successfully carrying out the stated objects of the invention, and minor changes in details of construction illustrated and described are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim as new is:

A nasal inhaler comprising a supporting frame in the general form of the frame of spectacles and including a vertical plate having integral substantially horizontal arms projecting from opposite sides thereof and arranged to occupy a position over the eyes of the patient, the lower edge of the plate being formed to provide a bridge piece arranged to overlie the bridge of the patients nose, other vertical arms integral with the plate and depending from the latter at opposite sides of said bridge piece, the lower ends of said arms being formed to provide nose pieces, a tting rigidly secured to the front of said plate to provide an upwardly projecting inlet for oxygen or the like and downwardly h verging outlets at opposite sides of said bridge piece, nasal tubes connected to said outlet and depending therefrom, said nasal tubes terminating in inwardly and upwardly directed lower ends arranged to enter the nostrils of the patient, templates pivoted to the outer ends of said firstnamed arms and arranged to hook over the patients ears to retain the inhaler in position upon the patient, the upper ends of said nasal tubes being slidably arranged in the diverging outlets of said fitting for vertical adjustment to the patient, manually releasable means for retaining the nasal tubes in any desired vertically ad- CHARLES IIENRY FRANCISCO. WILLIAM FRANCISCO. LEONARD BROWN. 

